An update on the horrendous anti-homosexuality bill we posted about last week:
Bloomberg is reporting that the death penalty and life imprisonment will be struck from the bill:

“Uganda will drop the death penalty and life imprisonment for gays in a refined version of an anti- gay bill expected to be ready for presentation to Parliament in two weeks, James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of ethics and integrity, said.
The draft bill, which is under consideration by a parliamentary committee, will drop the two punishments to attract the support of religious leaders who are opposed to these penalties.”

This is certainly great news, and comes on the heels of increased criticism from the international community
But it’s important to remember that this bill is still AN ANTI-GAY BILL. No matter the severity of the suggested “punishment” for homosexuality, the premise is uber-problematic. I also think it’s important to remember that the anti-gay sentiment that created the bill has not been eradicated. I’ve included a link roundup below, if you’d like to learn more about eradicating homophobia in Uganda:
Click here to read a post on Akimbo with more context on the difficulties gay Ugandans already face.
Click here to view the the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) call to action (and to contact the Ugandan parliament).
Click here for the Human Rights Watch (HRW) statement “Uganda: ‘Anti-Homosexuality’ Bill Threatens Liberties and Human Rights Defenders”
Click here to listen to a radio Interview with Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)
Click here to read about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s reaction to the bill (hint: she’s not a fan).

Brooklyn, NY

Lori Adelman is Executive Director of Partnerships at Feministing, where she enjoys creating and curating content on gender, race, class, technology, and the media. Lori is also an advocacy and communications professional specializing in sexual and reproductive rights and health, and currently works in the Global Division of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A graduate of Harvard University, she lives in Brooklyn.

Lori Adelman is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Partnerships.

A few days ago, Germany’s highest court finally struck down a state law that had banned women from wearing headscarves in classrooms. But the decision, a victory after more than a decade of legal and public debate, is sadly an isolated sign of optimism within an increasingly bleak picture of Western countries marginalizing Muslim women for the way they dress.

Earlier this month, France’s women’s minister expressed support for a university-wide headscarf ban, arguing: “I’m not sure the headscarf is part of higher education.” (The fact that she is the country’s secretary for women’s rights is particularly awkward.) Her comments came as former president Nicolas Sarkozy proposed banning female students from wearing headscarves at all French universities. In Canada, Prime Minister Stephen ...

A few days ago, Germany’s highest court finally struck down a state law that had banned women from wearing headscarves in classrooms. But the decision, a victory after more than a decade of legal and public ...

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Part of what makes this speech so awesome is Washington’s awareness of her own power and position within society. She says:

Anayvette has over 15 years of experience working with nonprofits and youth. After feeling conflicted about her daughter’s desire to join the local Girl Scouts troop, Anayvette and her co-founder Marilyn Hollinquest created their own organization in Oakland that teaches young girls of color about social justice activism, from radical beauty to the environment and beyond.

The Radical _____ are currently electing their new name with leadership from their girls and ...